Internal-combustion engine



Nov. 20 T923 1,474,697

l. H. WILSEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 26. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 2o, T923 1,474,697

l. H. WILSEY INTERNAL COMBSTION ENGINE Filed April 26, 1919' 2 SheeCS-Shee' 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVEN H. WILSEY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY I'JIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WILSEY INCORPORATED, A COLPOR-ATION 0F DELAWARE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 22,919.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRvnN H. WiLsnY, a citizen of the United States, residino' at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stia-te of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates particularly to an apparatus for producing a combustible mixture to be supplied to the engine cylinders, and has special reference to the conditions arising in the use of a liquid fuel, a portion of which does not readily volatilize under the conditions usually present in automobile operation. Ordinary hydrocarbon fuels comprise one or more fractions which do not readily volatilize. It has heretofore been the practice to provide devices for heating the entire mixture.

issuing from the carburetor or mixing valve, whereby not only the less readily volatilized fuel fractions but also the air and easily volatilized fuel fractions are heated` The heating of the mixture, of course, reduces its density.

The principal factor in obtaining the greatest volumetric efficiency from a given internal-combustion engine is to have the densest possible gas over the inlet valve. It follows, therefore, that if maximum horsepower is desired the mixture should not be rarefied by a greater degree of pre-heating than is necessitated by the nature or condition of the fuel.

If we assume for the sake of illustration. that the engine is running on a mixture of fourteen parts of air by weight to one part of fuel, all other conditions remaining the same, then a rise in temperature from 320 to 5230 Fahrenheit results in a. fifty per cent 'reduction of the density of the mixture, with consequent reduction of horse-power. Neglecting specific heats of the liquid and air for the purpose of simple illustration, we may say that only about one-fifteenth of the mixture requires heat treatment, the heating of the other fourteen-ifteenths being undesirable when power requirements are great.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide an apparatus whereby that portion of the fuel which requires pre-heating shall always be preheated and whereby the remainder of the mixture shall or shall not be pre-heated as determined by fuel quality, atmospheric conditions, speed, load, etc. The method disclosed herein forms the subject of another application by applicant, Serial Number 292918 filed April 26, 1919.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an apparatus embodying 'the features of my invention, a portion of the apparatus being shown in vertical section in the plane of line l-l of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a. side elevation with parts in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and Fig. l is a side elevation.

l denotes an engine of any suitable type. 2 is a carburetor of any common or preferred construction. 3 is the exhaust manifold. The manifold 3 is connected in the usual or any preferred manner to the exhaust passages 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the engine. If desired, the carburetor may be provided with a heating stove 8 of ordinary form. 9 is a tube extending from the outlet of the carburetor 2 to a separator l0. The function of this separator is to separate from the current passing therethrough the liquid particles which require pre-heating in order to bring about volatilization. Various forms of separators may be employed. That herein shown comprises a casing ll, the lower portion of which` is connected at one end with the tube 9. The opposite ends of the casing ll are connected at their upper portions` to tubes l2. In the lower portion of the casing li. is a plurality of vertical partitions i3 above which is a horizontal partition 1.41. The partitions 13 are directed 'toward the .inlet of the casing ll., the ends of the partitions 13 and le being spaced away from the inlet of said casing, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the bott-om of the casing 11 is a port which is connected to the central portion of an inlet manifold 16. The ends of the manifold i6 communicate with the engine ti (l cylinders through the inlet passages 17. The tubes 12 communicate with the ends ot' the manifold 16 adjacent to the passages 1T. The exhaust passages 5 and 6 extend in close proximity to the central portion ot the inlet manifold 16 at opposite sides ot and below the juncture ol1 the tube 15 with the manifold. A pocket 18 is formed between the exhaust passages 5 and 6 and directly below the tube 15. Sand or other impurities which may collect in the pocket 18 may be removed through an opening 18L which is normally closed by a plug 181. The central portion ot the manifold 16 'forms a heating chamber A.

'The tubes 12 are preferably of relatively thin metal, so that a relat-ively small amount of heat shall be conducted to said tubes from the exhaust passages and exhaust manifold. 4

Means is provided for controlling the tlow i'zhroug'h the tubes 12 and 15. Herein l have shown a butteriiy valve 19 in each o1 the tubes 12 and a similar valve 20 in the tube 15. These valves are preferably connected to a common operating device, as, tor example, a rod 21, by means ot crank arms 22, the element 21 being arranged in any suitable manner for convenient operation by the driver or for actuation by any suitable means. rlhe valve 20 is so arranged as always to allow the flow ot liquid fuel past it.

irssuming conditions to be such that maximum power is desired, the operating element 2l is actuated to open the valves 19 and place the valve 2() in nearly closed position. The operation of the engine pistons causes a pressure drop at the inlet ports 17 and a rush ot air through the carburetor 2. The air picks up and entrains globules ot liquid tuel and flows through the conduit or tube 9 to the separator 10 where the difference in inertia causes the liquid particles to be sepa- 'ated trom the gases, the liquid portion dripping past the valve 20 and entering` the heated central portion of the inlet manifold lere the liquid particles are volatilized and pass through the end portions ot the manifold 1G to the inlets 17. rlhe gases vleave the separator' casing 11 through the tubes 12 :ind )ass thence te the inlets l? without be ing subjected to pre-heating. Qnly an inconsequential portion ol'A the gas enters the mani'lold lt through the tube 15.

lt will. be seen that practically only that portion ot the mixture which requires preheating is subjected to such treatment and that consequently the density ot the mixture is reduced to only a very slight extent.

Then the power requirements are light, the valves 19 may be closed and the valve 20 opened, whereupon allot the mixture will enter the inlet manifold through the tube 15 and be preheated, thereby greatly reducing lli.

the density or" the mixture with consequent economy of tuel.

irs will be apparent, the valves and 2O may be placed in any desired intermediate position to etiect pre-heating ot any desired percentage ot the n'iixture.

l would have it understood that the toregoing detailed description has been given tor the sake of imparting a clear understand ing ot the invention and not with the intention ot limiting vthe invention to the disclosed torni and arrangement ot parts. @n the contrary, the spirit and scope ot the invention are to be determined in view ot the prior art and the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

1. in internatcombustion engine having, in combination, engine cylinders, a carburetor, a separator, a conduit extending from the carburetor to the separator, two passageways extending 'from the upper portion et the separator to the inlets ol" the engine cylinders, a heater communicating with said inlets7 a passageway extending from the lower portion of the separator to the heater, a valve in each passageway, and means ior simultaneously operating said valves, the valves in the lirst vmentioned passageway being arranged to close as the valve inthe other passageway opens, and vice versa.

2. An internal-e'ombustion engine having, in combination. engine cylinders, a carburetor, a separator, a conduit extending` trom the carluiretor to the separator, two passageways extending from the separator to the inlets oft the engine cylinders. a heater commuiicating with said inlets, a passageway exlending troni the separator to the heater, a valve in "each passageway, and means tor simultaneously oilierating said valves.

il. :in internal-combustion engine having, in combination, an engine cylinder, a carburetor, a separator, a conduit extending itrom the carburetor to the separator, a passageway extending tre-m the upper portion ot the separator to the inlet ot the engine cylinder, a heater communicating with said inlet, a passageway extending from the 'lower portion ot the separator to the heater, a valve in each passage fray, and unitary means 'tor operating both ot said valves.

it. flu intei:nal-combustion engine having,

in coi'i'ibiiuition, engine cylinders, a carburetor. a separator, a conduit extending troni the carburetor to the separator, two passageways extending l'rom the separator to the` inlets ot the engine cylii'iders, a heating chamber located below the separator and between and communicating with said inlets, and a passageway extending from the separator to the heating chamber, said cylinders having two exhaust passages at 'opposite sides of and below said chamber for heating the latter.

5. An internal combustion engine having,

in combination, a carburetor, a separator adapted to Separate particles oli' uuvolatilized fluid 'from the mixture delivered by said carburetor, means for allowing the liq- 5 uid so separated to fall by gravity into a heating chamber, means for mixing a variable pereentage of the gaseous mixture with the liquid before itenters the heatingr chamber, and means Yfor returning the heated portion of the mixture to the remainder thereof.

n testimony whereoi, I have hereunto set my hand.

IRVEN H. WILSEY. 

